One way removable lobster gate with closed position lobster entry opening

Abstract

An extruded plastic one way obstruction gate assembly for use in the lobster fishing industry. A three fingered rotatable tine assembly attachable to an existing circular hoop of the conventional lobster pot or trap. A curved multi-tine gate assures low frontage obstruction to a lobster by providing an opening located between the bottom of the gate tines and the lower portion of a circular hoop off a lobster trap. A bridge is securable to the hoop and the tine assembly snaps in place on the bridge. This tine assembly easily swings upward and is shaped with a void that provides an alternate escape for undersized lobsters while containing the legal size lobster catch within the trap.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A self supporting, removable, multi-tine gate which is hand attachable to a circular terminating hoop on a lobster entrance funnel of an industry standard conventional lobster fishing pot for trapping legal sized lobsters and allowing for the escape of shorts, or non-legal sized lobsters, said gate comprising: a bracketing bridge securable across a top chord of said circular hoop;   a hand removable multi-tine one way rotational obstruction gate having at least three downward depending tines only, with such tines having curved lower tine ends and including longer outer tines and a shorter inward tine(s) formed in a tine assembly on a rotational top hinge bar and shaped such that the lower curved tine ends together with a bottom arc of said circular hoop form an upward arched lobster entrance/exit opening;   means for easily hand attaching or removing said tine assembly with swinging freedom to said bracketing bridge; and   said rotational obstruction gate having inwardly curved tines and a small negative buoyancy relative to ocean water so as to react to a lobster touch by swinging inwardly away from the bottom of said circular hoop in response to lobster entry through said entrance/exit opening, yet allowing non-legal-sized lobsters to escape through said arch shaped opening while blocking the exit of legal sized lobsters.   
     
     
       2. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tine assembly is further characterized by comprising: an entry opening defined by longer side tines and a shorter center tine to enhance lobster entry through said entrance opening formed by the curved tines and a bottom arc of said circular hoop.   
     
     
       3. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by comprising: means fastening said bracketing bridge across a top chord of said circular hoop.   
     
     
       4. A hand removable rotational one way gate having at least three tines and being attachable to a bracketing bridge spanning across an upper chord of a circular hoop in a conventional lobster trap having said circular hoop terminating an entrance funnel on said trap, said gate comprising: a tine assembly of negative buoyancy material relative to ocean water and swingably attachable by a rotatable hinge bar to said bracketing bridge when said bridge is installed across an upper chord of said circular hoop;   said tine assembly having downward depending tines only and such tine assembly further characterized by comprising at least two downward outboard tines extending from a rotatable hinge bar and selected with a length appropriate for lying along outer chords of said circular hoop;   a shorter center downward extending tine located between said outboard tines and extending from said rotatable hinge bar; and     said tines being inwardly bowed along their length with the terminating ends thereof being inwardly curved and thus providing: (1) an entry/escape void for initiating lobster entry into said lobster pot between the lower curved tine ends and a lower portion of said circular hoop;   (2) an escape for shorts, or non-legal sized lobsters through said void, when said tine assembly is in a normally closed position in the plane of said circular hoop; and   (3) a blocked exit by said tines which prevent legal-sized lobsters from escaping though said entry/escape void.     
     
     
       5. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 4 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by comprising: compressible ringed loops for fastening said bridge across said upper chord of said circular hoop.   
     
     
       6. A method of configuring a lobster trap having a kitchen compartment in tandem with a parlor compartment with the two compartments interconnected by a net funnel having an opening from the kitchen into the funnel and said funnel terminating in a circular hoop, said method comprising the steps of: installing, on said circular hoop of said trap funnel(s) a tine gate which gate may be manually snap-in/snap-out removed and reinstalled in the field by hand during lobster fishing operations;   shaping the tines with curved lower tine ends such that the lower curved tine ends together with a bottom arc of said circular hoop form a lobster entrance/exit opening;   forming said entry/exit opening between the bottom of the tines and said circular hoop, with an opening sized large enough to be sensed by lobster antennae as readily admitting entry by a lobster; and   hand mounting said gate from the top of said hoop so that the gate swings open upon movement of a legal sized lobster through said gated hoop and yet allows escape of non-legal sized lobsters through said opening with said gate remaining in a closed position.   
     
     
       7. A method of configuring said lobster trap of claim 6, and said method further comprising the step of: selecting a plastic material of negative buoyancy in ocean water for said gate tine assembly so as to provide minimal resistance in one direction.   
     
     
       8. A method of configuring said lobster trap of claim 6 and said method further comprising the steps of: combining one or more lobster trap funnels with said one way gated entrances.   
     
     
       9. A self supporting, removable, multi-tine gate which is hand attachable to a terminating hoop on a funnel of an industry standard lobster fishing pot for trapping legal sized lobsters and allowing for the escape of shorts, or non-legal sized lobsters, said gate comprising: a bracketing bridge securable by fastening across a top chord of said hoop;   a hand removable multi-tine one way rotational obstruction gate having at least three tines formed in a tine assembly with a rotational top hinge bar;   means for removable mounting said tine assembly from said hinge bar by securing said top hinge bar with swinging freedom to said bracketing bridge;   said one way obstruction gate having inwardly curved tines and a small negative buoyancy relative to ocean water so as to react to a lobster touch by swinging inwardly away from said bridge for lobster entry, yet blocking the exit of said lobster; and   said bracketing bridge is further characterized by a snap in ramp means and corresponding rotational stop for receiving said tine assembly and providing freedom of swing through a limited inward arc only.   
     
     
       10. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 9 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by a mounting support comprising: a pair of opposite and downwardly pointing bridge arms indented on one lower edge so as to lay securely against a curved surface of a circular terminating hoop of said lobster fishing pot.   
     
     
       11. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by a mounting support comprising: a pair of tabs at the lower outward ends of said bridge arms having grooves for receiving a circular cross section of a ringed circular hoop of the type normally found on a conventional lobster fishing pot.   
     
     
       12. A hand removable one way gate having at least three tines and being attachable to a bracketing bridge spanning across an upper chord of a circular hoop in a lobster trap, said gate comprising: a tine assembly of negative buoyancy material relative to ocean water and swingably attachable by a rotatable hinge bar to said bridge;   said tine assembly further characterized by comprising two equally spaced outboard tines extending from a rotatable hinge bar;   a shorter center downward extending tine equally spaced between said outboard tines and extending from said hinge bar;     said tines having a length selected to provide both an entry/escape void for initiating lobster entry into said lobster pot through said circular hoop to which the gate is attachable, and an escape for shorts, or non-legal sized lobsters, when said tine assembly is in a normally closed position in the plane of said hoop;   said bracketing bridge is further characterized by: fastening means for fastening said bridge across said upper chord of said hoop; and   a ramped snap means for swingably receiving said tine assembly and providing, responsive to a lobster touch, an inward and upward freedom of swing for said tine assembly.     
     
     
       13. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by a mounting support comprising: a pair of opposite and downwardly pointing bridge arms indented on a lower edge of each of said arms so as to lay securely against a curved circular surface of the lobster trap hoop to which said bridge is attachable.   
     
     
       14. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by: a return stop positioned between said snap means for limiting the outwardly swinging arc of said tine assembly yet allowing the negative buoyancy of said tine assembly to return said tine assembly to a normally closed position lying essentially in the plane of said hoop.   
     
     
       15. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 14 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by: a pair of hoop mounting supports, on each on each of said downward arms and comprising grooves for fitting over the hoop while positioning said bracketing bridge at a desired span position on said hoop.   
     
     
       16. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein said bracketing bridge is further characterized by: rotational stops positioned above said snap means for limiting the inward swinging arc of said tine assembly.   
     
     
       17. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein said tine assembly comprises: said rotatable bar is a molded cylindrical hinge across the tops of said tines; and wherein   said cylindrical bar is loosely received in said bracketing bridge and bears against said ramp parts only, hence limiting the potential of noise during operation by a lobster.   
     
     
       18. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein said gate in a closed position lies in the vertical plane of said hoop and further characterized in that: said gate tines do not cover the entire cross-sectional area of said hoop; and further wherein   said entry/escape opening at the bottom of said tines provides the appearance and/or feel of open space for the lobster to start through said hoop.   
     
     
       19. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 and further wherein: said tines are curved inward, and away from an approaching lobster, and being sufficiently shaped so as to avoid impaling a lobster that attempts to momentarily pull backward from entry through the plane of said hoop.   
     
     
       20. A gate assembly in accordance with claim 12 and further wherein: said gate assembly is attachable to older or newer lobster pots without the requirement of additional configurations to said conventional lobster pot.